Harness-saddle.



Nu-736,760. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1903.

o. W. MILLER. HARNESS SADDLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

, nvenfoTF (943.91% J z UNITED STATES Patented August 18,1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. MILLER, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GILLIAM MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 736,760, dated August18, 1903. Application filed June 23, 1902. Serial No. 112,785. (Nomodel:

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES IV. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Harness-Saddles, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements inharness-saddles; and it consistsin the novel features of construction hereinafter described, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several formsin which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and said inventionis fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view ofaharness-saddleembodying my invention, the pad of said saddle loosenedon one side, so as to show the saddletree and its manner of connection.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the middle part of one specificembodiment of my invention. Fig. 3 is a like View showing anothermodified construction. Fig. 4 shows still another modification. Fig. 5is a cross-section through the center of the saddle shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the center of the saddle shown in Fig.2, and Fig. 7 is a crosssection through the center of the saddle shownin Fig. 3.

As heretofore constructed harness-saddles have generally each included arigid inflexible tree made of wood or iron and secured centrally toother parts of the saddle. Such trees have two diverging arms which areset at an angle which corresponds with the shape of the back of what maybe termed the average horse. Such saddles, however, have only a limitedcapacity for adapting themselves to the shape of the backs of differenthorses. In fact, it is only by the compression of the pad, which issecured to the under side of the saddle, that they are adaptable at allto differentshaped horses.

It is the object of this invention to provide a saddle of simpleconstruction which has a wide range of flexibility, whereby it willadapt itself to the shape of any horses back to which it is applied.

The invention consists, broadly, in the employment in a harness-saddleof a metallic tree which is transversely flexible from end to end andwhich is clamped to the under side of the skirt by means of the samebolts which are employed to secure the usual fixtures, such as the seat,the terrets, checkrein-hook, crupper-loop, &c.

It also consists in the more specific characteristic of construction andcombination, as set forth definitely in the claims.

Referring to the parts by letters, A repre sents the saddle-skirt, made,as usual, of thick leather. p

. I3 represents the jockey, and C the back strap, which in theconstruction shown passes across the top of the saddle between the skirtand the jockey.

G represents a saddletree which in all of the constructions shownconsists of two strands g g, of spring-wire, permanently bent at theirmiddle points to conform as near as may be to the shape of the back ofthe average horse. This two-strand-wire tree is secured to the underside of the saddle-skirt on opposite sides of its center by clampingdevices of which preferably the terrets E form the bolt member. In theconstruction shown in Fig. l a clamp ing-plate L is associated with eachterret and lies just below the skirt. The terret stem or bolt e passesthrough it, the skirt, the backstrap, and the jockey and screws into anut e, which bears against the under side of said plate, and therebydraws the plate against the under side of theskirt, thereby holding thetwo strands g g, which lie in grooves Z in the upper side of saidclamping-plate, against the skirt and in proper relationship to eachother. These wires are not, however, clamped together, but are movableendwise between the skirt and clamping-plate.

In the form of the device shown inFigs. 3 and 4 the two strands of thetree are bent toward and from each other and are secured together bysolder, as shown in Fig. 3, or by the wires, as shown in Fig. 4, or byany suitable means, so as to leave between them eyes g g, through whichthe terret stem or bolt e may pass. The terret-nut e bears directlyagainst the under side of the two wires formin g this tree, and therebyclamps said wire to the skirt.

The middle part of the flexible trees in all of the modifications shownis also clamped to the skirt. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 aclamping-plate I is employed, and this clamping-plate has formedintegral with it the crupper-loop The screw-threaded stem is of thecheckrein-hook K passes through the leather part of the saddle above thetree, between the two wire strands, and through this crupper-loop plateI, and the parts are clamped by means of the nut 7c screwing onto thisstem is.

As shown in Fig. 3, each of the wire strands g g is bent at its middleportion to form the loops g 9 As shown in Fig. 3, a bolt j on the underside of the seat J passes through the jockey and skirt and through theloop g and also through the end of the checkreinhook K, and all of theseparts are clamped together by a nutj. The rear strand of the flexibletree, in the exemplification thereof shown in Fig. 3, is also bentrearward to form the crupper-loop g This strand is secured in place by ascrew M, which passes through the loop g and screws into the seat Jreferred to.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 a checkrein-hook does not appear;but it may be a part of the seat J. The crupper-loop i may be a part ofthe seat or it may be on a plate which lies between the jockey and theskirt, and it may be held in place by a screw M, passing through a loopg in the rear strand g of the flexible tree and screwing into said seatJ.

It is clear from the foregoing description that the described saddle istransversely flexible from end to end and that a saddle con taining sucha tree'will adapt itself readily to the back of any horse, whatever beits shape. The invention is shown in the form which is specificallyknown as a harness-saddle; but this is a generic name and includes aswell other saddles which in the saddlery trade have other specificnames, as coach-pads, &c., and the invention is applicable to such otherspecifically-named saddles.

The several modifications shown exemplify the best constructions I nowhave in mind; but it is evident that the two metal strands may be of anydesired form in cross-section and that many different forms of clampingdevices may be employed without departure from the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. In a harness-saddle, thecombination with the skirt, jockey, and back-strap, of a two-strandspring-wire tree, two clampingplates on the inner side of said skirt andon 0pposite sides of its middle and bearing against the two strands ofthe tree, two terrets, each provided with a threaded shank extendingthrough the jockey and back-strap and adapted to engage a correspondingclamping-plate, and means for clamping the middle parts of said strandsto the middle part of the skirt, substantially as described.

2. In a harness-saddle, the combination I with the skirt, jockey,back-strap, and crupper-loop, of a two-strand spring-wire tree, twoclamping-plates on the inner side of said skirt and on opposite sides ofits middle and bearing against the two strands of the tree, two terrets,each provided with a threaded shank extending through the jockey and theback-strap and adapted to engage a corresponding clampingplate, andmeans for clamping the middle parts of said strands to the middle partof the skirt, said means also clamping the crupper-loop to the saddle,substantially as described.

3. In a harness-saddle, the combination with the skirt and jockey, of atree formed of two strands of spring-wire having integral loops at theirmiddle points, clamping-bolts passing through said loops and through theskirt and jockey, and other clamping devices which clamp the two strandsto the skirt 011 opposite sides of said loops, substantially asspecified.

4C. In a harness-saddle, the combination with the skirt and jockey, of atree formed of two strands of spring-wire having integral loops at theirmiddle points and being bent to form eyes therebetween on opposite sidesof said loops, clamping-bolts passing through said loops and through theskirt and jockey, and clamping-bolts extending through the eyes andclamping the two strands to the skirt on opposite sides of said loops,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES W. MILLER.

Witnesses:

E. B. GILoHRIsT, 'E. L. THURs'roN.

ICC

